Ken Paxton Brings in Kari Lake's "Big Gun"

In a recent column published in The Federalist, attorney Harmeet Dhillon has weighed in on what Texas Tribune's Patrick Svitek referred to as the "Senate Rules pressure campaign." Dhillon's contribution adds to the ongoing discourse surrounding the Senate Rules for Ken Paxton's impeachment trial and raises more questions than answers.

Harmeet Dhillon gets in on the Senate rules pressure campaign: https://t.co/v9rbQph5eT

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 15, 2023

Is Dhillon merely an impartial observer expressing her opinion?

Harmeet Dhillon, who recently ran an unsuccessful campaign against Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, had Caroline Wren as her campaign manager. Dhillon received an endorsement from RPT Chairman Matt Rinaldi during her campaign and was promoted by various individuals and organizations directly linked to Texas Scorecard's axis of allies.

Dhillon was an attorney representing various lawsuits to promote Kari Lake's baseless claims of election fraud in the Arizona Gubernatorial race.

From Townhall.com:

"I will never stop fighting for free, fair, and honest elections, and I'm bringing in the big guns to help me do it," Lake said in a statement.

"Harmeet Dhillon is a talented, experienced, and relentless lawyer who is just as committed as I am to protecting the integrity of our election, rooting out fraud, and ensuring that every single Arizonans' voice is fairly heard," the GOP hopeful pledged.

Tony MacDonald, the lawyer for Texas Scorecard and witnesses who obstructed the Texas House General Investigation Committee's proceedings into Bryan Slaton, also worked on similar lawsuits for Kari Lake. Kari Lake’s campaign manager was Caroline Wren.

Who is Caroline Wren?

Caroline Wren, a trusted confidant of Steve Bannon, played a pivotal role in the January 6 insurrection by spearheading fundraising efforts that enabled thousands of individuals to converge on Washington, D.C. for the event.

Wren's Involvement in January 6

Part of the funds she raised for January 6 were allocated to the Republican Attorney General's Association, an organization that Ken Paxton belonged to.

Wren aggressively advocated for Ali Alexander to speak at the January 6th rally, but Katrina Pierson successfully prevented it. Alexander, who claims to be the leader of the "Stop the Steal" movement, is currently under investigation for soliciting lewd photos from minors. Additionally, the victim who accused CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp of sexual assault is suing Wren herself for defamation.

RNC Race vs. Ronna McDaniel

As campaign manager for Harmeet Dhillon, Wren used nearly identical phrasing commonly invoked by members of Texas Scorecard's axis of allies.

From Politico:

According to three people familiar with the confrontation, Wren, who has been Dhillon’s top adviser in her campaign for chair, told Jones: “Everyone knows you’re here fucking whipping votes for Ronna.” She proceeded to call him a “fucking sell out,” adding that, “the grassroots will never support you again.

You can read more about how Texas Scorecard's axis of allies use "the grassroots" as a synonym here.

Harmeet Dhillon is Part of Texas Scorecard's Axis of Allies

Not only did Matt Rinaldi endorse Dhillon for RNC Chair, but her campaign manager also had a close relationship with Ken Paxton before the January 6th election and was involved in funneling money to him. These connections alone are concerning, but there is yet another tie that directly links her to being leveraged by Texas Scorecard's axis of allies.

So far, I’ve gotten about 3,000 emails regarding the RNC Chair race from Texas Republicans. Not a single one has been for McDaniel, about 30-40 have been for Lindell, the rest have been for @pnjaban. I’m sorry I can’t respond to each one individually. I’m voting for Dhillon.

— Matt Rinaldi (@MattRinaldiTX) December 20, 2022

I will be casting my RNC Chair vote tomorrow for Harmeet Dhillon. https://t.co/kizDvI4yE1

— Matt Rinaldi (@MattRinaldiTX) January 26, 2023

The Wilks Connection

As previously reported by Scorecard Confessions, Ferris Wilks was the exclusive financier who helped launch Ben Shapiro's DailyWire. Interestingly, one of Harmeet Dhillon's lawyers happens to be Ben Shapiro's brother-in-law.

Roth is married to Abigail Shapiro, Ben's sister:

The Paradox of Texas Scorecard's Axis of Allies: From Adversaries to Admirers of George Soros

As we've discussed repeatedly, Texas Scorecard's axis of allies professes to abhor George Soros. However, this animosity is purely ideological. In reality, when it comes to Soros' talent for misleading the public through the creation of shadow PACs, fake think tanks, or sensationalist "news" organizations, Texas Scorecard's axis of allies is actually his greatest admirer.

From our May 30 report:

A key theme with The Enterprise to always keep in mind: they’re not innovators, they're emulators, and when it comes to media empire building, they’re George Soros’ biggest fan.

Harmeet Dhillon is a prime illustration of the incestuous nature of the far-right network within Texas Scorecard's axis of allies. Despite their claims to promote transparency and accountability, these entities strive to conceal their own actions, affiliations, and employees. While Texas Scorecard's axis of allies purport to disdain "The Austin Sewer," it is difficult to take this sentiment seriously when they themselves are the financial equivalent of a septic tank.

The corrupt and corrosive nature of Texas Scorecard's axis of allies is particularly alarming. These vehicles manipulate the public by portraying themselves as organic or grassroots efforts in support of Ken Paxton. However, in reality, they are a network tied together under the same umbrella of financiers who have come together to protect the Attorney General on their payroll.

It is well-documented that Ken Paxton provided a highly confidential and unredacted FBI search warrant in exchange for $20,000 worth of countertops, prior to its execution. However, what does Texas Scorecard's axis of allies gain from paying $750,000? Did that amount cover the efforts to deceive the public through editorials, news coverage via publications owned by Texas Scorecard's axis of allies, and public support from elected officials financed by them; to prey on good-faith, well-intentioned conservatives, using them as pawns in their quest to become the Republican equivalent of George Soros's Open Society Institute?

The reporting by Scorecard Confessions is gaining corroboration from Texas media, further bolstering the credibility of our investigations. The Houston Chronicle recently highlighted significant points that were previously addressed by Scorecard Confessions, underscoring the importance of their early revelations.

On Senate trial conflicts of interest

On June 13, the Houston Chronicle raised this point:

“But in what legal experts say is a conflict of interest that would never be acceptable in normal judicial proceedings, the "defendant," Paxton, owes the "judge," Patrick, some $125,000 in outstanding campaign loans, according to campaign finance reports. And one of the "jurors," state Sen. Angela Paxton, a Republican who is also Ken Paxton's wife, is $600,000 in debt to her husband's campaign, while he has served as a guarantor for millions more in funding.”

“You wouldn’t want the judge in a trial to be someone who has a financial relationship with the defendant, and that seems to be the case here,” Gutierrez said.“

Here’s what Scorecard Confessions said about this issue on May 29, 15 days before:

“In a traditional court of law, both of these Senators would be disqualified as jurors due to their conflicts of interest… There is a valid suspicion about whether Patrick can truly be fair and impartial during an impeachment trial, as there is a reasonable argument that his own integrity may be compromised.”

On Texas Scorecard's axis of allies $750,000 loan to Ken Paxton

The Chronicle also covered the $750,000 loan Scorecard Confessions was first to report about on May 26.

“In addition to the direct loan, Patrick and Paxton share a common financial backer: Defend Texas Liberty PAC, a conservative group financed by oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Ferris Wilks. The group has given Paxton $2 million in the last year, including a $750,000 loan.”

On The Financiers Of Ken Paxton's Defense

On June 5, Scorecard Confessions reader Chris Tomlinson wrote an editorial in the Houston Chronicle relating to financing of Ken Paxton’s defenders:

“Political activists financed by two billionaire oilmen — famous for backing right wing Republicans — are riding like cavalry to save suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton from a scalping in the Texas Senate.”

“Defend Texas Liberty is managed by former state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, who, alongside Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi, was a founding director of another PAC called Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.”

“Stickland, Rinaldi and Sullivan are leading a public campaign to stop the Texas Senate from permanently removing Paxton following his impeachment on 20 corruption charges. The same group also wants to remove Dade Phelan as speaker of the House.“

Here’s what Scorecard Confessions reported on May 15, 21 days prior:

“According to these sources, it turns out that the Airbnb in question was Cary Cheshire's, a former Texas Scorecard and current Pale Horse Strategies employee who was named President of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) in 2021. Interestingly, Matt Rinaldi and Jonathan Stickland served as members of TFR's board of directors. In fact, the three joined leadership at the exact same time.”

On May 26 Scorecard Confessions reported funding through Defend Texas Liberty PAC:

“Scorecard Confessions has discovered that Ken Paxton, the embattled Attorney General of Texas, is ensnared in a substantial financial debt owed to Defend Texas Liberty PAC, headed by Jonathan Stickland, holds a prominent position as an entity within The Enterprise. The stunning revelation unfolded when Ken Paxton, the embattled Attorney General of Texas, issued a "correction" to his campaign finance report dated October 31, 2022. This correction, made on May 15, 2023, exposed an astonishing debt of $750,000 owed by Paxton to Defend Texas Liberty PAC.”

These instances of corroborative reporting from established Texas media outlets not only validate Scorecard Confessions' earlier findings but also indicate a growing recognition of the issues surrounding Ken Paxton and Texas Scorecard's axis of allies. Thanks to Texas media's coverage, the public is now presented with a clearer picture of the financial dynamics and potential conflicts surrounding Paxton's trial.